Cost Of Living in Bellingham, MA

F

23%

Overall NAT. AVG.

15%

Goods & Services NAT. AVG.

57%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index	Bellingham	Massachusetts	National
Cost of living	123	133	100
Goods & Services	115	122	100
Groceries	102	105	100
Health care	108	113	100
Housing	157	165	100
Transportation	93	118	100
Utilities	112	134	100

New Real Estate Listings in Bellingham Area

For Sale For Rent

Search

Search Homes for Sale in Bellingham, MA

See How Much House You Can Afford. Get Pre-Approved Today

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Bellingham is 7% lower than the Massachusetts average
The cost of living in Bellingham is 23% higher than the national average
Bellingham housing is 57% higher than the national average
Massachusetts general sales tax is 22% higher than the national average
Massachusetts state income tax is 122% higher than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Bellingham

See all the best places to live around Bellingham

Compare Bellingham, MA Cost of Living

Write a review to give others more information about this area.

See all Bellingham poll results

The best places in Massachusetts

Here are the best places to live in Massachusetts

Top 10 cities in Massachusetts with the best education system

Top 10 best public schools in Bellingham

Check out the 10 safest cities in Massachusetts

Salary Calculator

This is how much you would need to earn in

Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$90,335	$7,528	$2,108	$2,710
Renters	$30,707	$2,559	$716	$921

A good indicator of the general affordability of housing in Bellingham, MA, is the percentage of monthly income that should be spent on housing expenses, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Generally speaking, no more than 28 percent of your total gross income should be spent on your housing expenses and not more than 36 percent of your gross income on total expenses, including debts. In Bellingham, the median monthly income is $90,335 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $2,108 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $30,707, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $716 on monthly rental expenses.

Massachusetts Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Massachusetts	6.25%	6.25%

Massachusetts Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Massachusetts	5%	5%

Goods & Services

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$31.50	$24.26	29.8%
Beauty Salon	$49.92	$45.56	9.6%
Toothpaste	$3.46	$3.70	6.5%
Shampoo	$1.43	$1.28	11.4%
Movie	$14.37	$12.13	18.4%
Bowling	$22.72	$18.00	26.2%

Groceries

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$5.85	$5.84	0.2%
Fried Chicken	$1.43	$1.57	8.9%
Milk	$4.74	$4.67	1.4%
Potatoes	$5.00	$4.93	1.3%
Pizza	$11.59	$12.09	4.1%
Beer	$10.74	$10.41	3.1%

Health Care

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$104.45	$125.68	16.9%
Doctor	$169.83	$135.78	25.1%
Dentist	$130.28	$113.29	15.0%
Ibuprofen	$11.11	$10.65	4.3%
Lipitor	$369.37	$468.60	21.2%

Housing

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$283,200.00	$184,700.00	53.3%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$2,379.56	$2,346.69	1.4%
Apartment Rent	$1,572.00	$949.00	65.6%

Transportation

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.38	$3.46	2.5%
Tire Balancing	$48.20	$59.92	19.6%

Utilities

Item	Bellingham	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$230.62	$193.99	18.9%
Phone	$195.18	$192.25	1.5%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Central Falls, RI	19,437	104	4.5%
Woonsocket, RI	41,616	107	6.6%
Pawtucket, RI	71,821	109	9.2%
Pascoag, RI	4,911	111	11.2%
Harrisville, RI	1,284	114	13.7%
Bellingham, MA	4,216	123	23.2%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Hometown, IL	4,216	91	9.0%
Pittsfield, IL	4,215	82	18.3%
Huber Ridge, OH	4,213	95	5.4%
Sebring, OH	4,213	85	15.1%
Williamston, SC	4,219	89	10.8%
Bellingham, MA	4,216	123	23.2%